After a week off, the Missouri Southern Softball team returns to the diamond Saturday and Sunday as they host the Teri Mathis-Zenner Memorial Tournament.
Missouri Southern State Softball will host their first home contest of the year this weekend with the Teri Mathis Zenner Memorial Tournament. The tournament is held yearly at the Joplin Athletic Complex to honor the life of social worker Teri Zenner who was slain by one of her patients in 2009 in Kansas City.
"It was nice to have a weekend off and be able to focus on some of the things we needed to get better at but we're excited to get back on the field and be able to play in Joplin," said head coach Melissa Chmielewski.
Missouri Southern Softball has been steadily improving over the past three tournaments. After a rocky start in Durant and West Texas, Southern Softball rose to the challenge of facing #5 Southern Arkansas to grind out a close 6-5 win. This was the fourth ranked opponent they have played. This victory gave them a 5-2 record at the UAM Division II Softball Classic.
Southern hopes to build from this success as they head into their first home contest. If they keep up their offensive momentum, they should contend with the four teams visiting the Joplin Athletic Complex. The toughest of these four will likely be McKendree University. They boast a 9-6 record, the best start since their 2009 season in which they were affiliated with the NAIA.
Hitting .336 as a team, the Lions have knocked in 101 runs and recorded 93 RBI. Abi Corbett leads the offensive charge hitting .531 and tallying 21 runs. This weekend will be the final tournament before conference play begins, allowing the Lions one final test before they enter the MIAA.
Chmielewski added," We have seen Drury already this year and watched Upper Iowa play. We don't know much about Maryville and played a tough McKendree last year. We match up well with all the teams and hope to have a successful weekend."
Southern begins Saturday March 4 at 2 p.m. against Upper Iowa and a 4 p.m. tilt with the aforementioned McKendree at the Joplin Athletic Complex.
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